


PPJS 4: The Sceptic

by After_SCP



Series: PPJS [4]
Category: Christian Tradition Lore & Folklore, World Wrestling Entertainment, World of Darkness (Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:02:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27326995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/After_SCP/pseuds/After_SCP
Summary: Steven Corvus' awakening.
Series: PPJS [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1086246





	PPJS 4: The Sceptic

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Meshuggah's song "Rational Gaze".

Backstage , in a hallway, during a WWF Raw, Steven Corvus and his new parrot friend, Bill are eating. Koko B. Ware, out of nowhere, walks in the same hallway and greets him.  
“Hey man, WWF told me your started carrying a bird last Smackdown show. Any specific reason?”  
“No, just adopted him after a tragic event in his previous home.”  
While watching the broadcast partially without much attention. Steven realizes that a Hardcore tittle match his happening right now!  
“Please hold my bird.”  
Corvus runs and leaves Ware alone and confused. Bubba Ray Dudley and Raven are fighting for the title and Corvus wants to make a statement. With the hardcore championship on the line, everything is legal. Corvus walks the ramp and everyone in the arena is looking at him like if it's no big deal, this title can be fought for 24/7. The belt can change hands many time by day and often outside of the TV shows. While wrestling the 2 older ECW wrestlers see him arriving. They take this as an insult since they pave the way for him and grab 2 shinais to team up against him, this should be quick. However, when they both strike him, Steven breaks the kendo sticks clawing with his fingers, and then hits them both in the throats with the 2 broken bamboo pieces in each hand. Corvus delivers a package piledriver to Bubba and finishes Raven, his long time rival. With his signature corvikaze, the tomikaze, a move he copied from Tommy Rogers. Dropped face first with all Corvus weight behind his head knocks him out. The PPJS guy wins the match he wasn't in, only possible in the hardcore division, ECW wrestlers comfort zone. The referee reluctantly gives mister shades the hardcore title belt. Corvus returns to Koko now with Anderson and Knight of justice.  
“Hey! Corvus the hardcore title! Your favorite one of course you miss it?”  
“After the weird stuff we fought we deserve to stop any competition here Brad.”  
“That's my boy!”  
The 4 wrestlers continue to talk and have fun. Finally, the show is over, everything is packed up, and it's time to return to the hotel. Corvus is late and on his way to his car he meets Carl and Rhidian.  
“The weird twins..there is no referee, you don't want this title?”  
“Mister Corvus let's be serious, a member of the Protection of People and Justice Society knows that there is far more important thing than a wrestling title.”  
“I guess...”  
“Rhidian leave him alone! I want to go back to the hotel.”  
The manager wearing a red cloak continues.  
“Some monsters out there won't care about jewelry and martial art ranking.”  
Carl makes a very angry face at his twin brother but Steven intervenes.  
“Let him talk.”  
“There are forces that can help you in your quest. You should have a discussion with Basileus Manning, he is a mastigos and you could meet him tomorrow with me.”  
Carl is surprised.  
“Who Basileus Manning?”  
Corvus also have a question.  
“What is a mastigos?”  
“Well I thought you friends the monsters hunters talk to you about awakens?”  
“Matrix stuff?”  
“Maybe.”  
The stronger twin has enough.  
“Sorry Steven, don't listen to him he is into weird supernatural stuff. Keep fighting the good fight, Even if we are competitors, I believe in the PPJS.”  
He turns to his brother.  
“Let's go Alistair Crowley, enough hocus pocus for today.”  
The Exmaev twins walk way. Now alone, the new champion looks at his title. The real title in this company he always believed. 24/7, open weight. But ECW is the past, WWE is the past. Everything is the past if forces like in Rugdwell are left unchecked.  
“Let's go Bill.”  
The man leaves with his belt and his bird.

The next day, during the afternoon Steven receives a phone call in his hotel room. He answers and it's indeed Rhidian who is giving Corvus the opportunity to come with him like he talked about yesterday. Rhidian is alone and while come pick him up in a cab, tell will go to New York City to meet Manning. They arrive in front of a secretive high class club in a Manhattan basement. The 2 men exit the car and they are greeted by a man wearing a black trench coat.  
“Rhidian I'm here!”  
“Hi Nick, I convinced some else to come to the awaken teaching.”  
“Who is he?”  
“Steven Corvus, a wrestler competing in the WWF with my brother.”  
“Cool We have to get that planet conscientiousness score higher.”  
The 3 men enter the club. Tonight no loud party music is playing and nobody is dancing. The small group of people in the club are listening to a man talking. A short small and chubby man wearing a suit, but with a incredibly large amount of charisma anyway. Basileus is trying to explain to his audience the high planes. Some like Rhidian are legit sleepwalker now. They understand what he is talking about mostly but their mind hasn't unlock reality. Manning sees Rhidian in the back of the room. The 2 men are working together and the awaken walks to him rapidly.  
“Rhidian my good friend! You made it!, it's a shame your brother don't want to come.”  
“The usual, the love of his life disapprove of it.”  
“Sad, he should not be controlled by someone else, I'm always in control! No matter. Nicolas is here again good, and you brought a new face.”  
With his mastigos powers, Manning reads Corvus' mind. The warlock is stunned and thrilled.  
“The only man to mix eagle style wushu, and professional wrestling, Bruce lee's Jeet Kune Do philosophy and hard body, Mister Corvus. You didn't believe until recently into daemons but you saw the errors of your ways recently event you?”  
“I don't believe in daemons or any supernatural creatures.”  
“But Rugdwell?”  
“You weren't there, how do you know about this?”  
“Don't fear daemons Mister Corvus, they are like people, not black or white, some are wise and just want to help humans become more independent.”  
“I doubt that, and what about the angels then?”  
“You don't need them, you are stronger than they are, they fear you.”  
Manning grabs Corvus and teleports with him to the Sahara desert. Corvus is extremely stunned by the fast travel of the wizard.  
“You have the potential you just don't see it yet, stop thinking about the universe and feel it like you do in martial arts, you are already partially in Steven.”  
They reappear in the New York club. Steven sits down on a chair and is paralyzed by the event. Other people start complaining.  
“Hey why did you show this guy a cool magic trick and you never showed us stuff like that?”  
“Don't worry my friend tonight everyone will experience some of my best magic first hand. Like I said, some daemons are nice person who just what to help you awaken, not only him the new guy, but all of you. I will summon King Paimon, a powerful omniscient spirit that can answer any question!”  
for a hours the party continues until Basileus is ready. He starts drawing a big sigil on the ground. After the symbol completed, He sits at a table and writes mathematical equation on a piece of paper.  
“You see my friends, it's only science.”  
What Basileus doesn't tell the sleepers however is that the equation is only an anchor to help him cast this incredibly vulgar spell. Nick talks with Steven.  
“I'm going to ask that spirit to help me become a moros, and you?”  
“What's a moros?”  
“Rhidian should have told you this. The 5 types of awakening. You can follow any school of magic when your a mage, but your soul must connect to 1 of the 5 supernal realms. If your mind has a afinity for mind and space magic your are a mastigos like Basileus, If it's death and matter you are a moros, necromancers, alchemists. Obrimos, a mage with an affinity for force and primordial magic. An acanthus can easily play with time and faith and the last of the 5 is the shaman, life and spirit magics, a thyrsus.”  
“Ok and you want to be a necromancer?”  
“Yes! Turning cheap stuff into gold, having a personal army of undeads. I could rule the world.”  
“Your not much about modesty right Nick?”  
“Come on you neither. You are a pro-wrestler. The rich bastards that rule the world are failing hard we all know this, they need to go.”  
Basileus is ready. He starts extending and turning his hand. A wormhole is opening in front of everyone. Manning is struggling and using all his concentration on the reality challenging spell. An androgynous noble person with a flaming crown exits from the dimensional door. Everyone is paralyzed by fear in front of the big hole flooding the room with cold temperature and a sulfur smell.  
“Thank you mastigos. The help is greatly appreciated.”  
“Welcome King Paimon, we are but hobble humans who have few questions...”  
People start catching on fire and getting absorbs through the portal in great agony.  
“Poor wizard I am not in a mood to answer questions , but I'll take all your soul since I am here.”  
Half the gourp his already gone and the other are trying in vein to crawl on the floor against the supernatural siphon. Even Basileus as been suck in and the portal and it's still open. Crovus reaches in his pocket for a piece of paper with the exorcist written on by Remy Hovington.  
“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo, omnis legio diabolica, adiuramus te…”  
“Still sucking delicious souls!”  
“cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare…Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciæ, hostis humanæ salutis…”  
“So much power could be yours if you willingly come with me.”  
“Humiliare sub potenti manu Dei; contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine…quem inferi tremunt…”  
“Stop it no!”  
“Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos!”  
The powerful daemon disappears in his closing space rift. Steven is now alone in the cold room. He runs away crying. The poor man struggles to walk back to the motel. That night, he dreams being in a infinitely calm empty ocean, He slowly sinking in the water but he doesn't drown and he stays peaceful. When he finally its the bottom, it's covered with coins. He wakes up still affected by the King Paimon encounter, He smokes a joint of pot in the middle of the night to calm down.

It's Smackdown! In Rochester, New York! The show is doing great. After a incredible tag team title match of Billy & Chuck vs Albert & Scotty, a single match of DDP vs Chrsitan continues to entertain the crowd. Among the wrestlers backstage, the PPJS is checking other help demands. James, Marshall and Brad are talking will trying to filter through the joke demands from trolls. Suddenly, Michael PS Hayes enters their locker room and says:  
“Hey! Brad! Karate guy! You are up next! Revenge tag rematch, The frenchies request a match against you.”  
The WWF employee walks way.  
“I'll continues looking at the emails.”  
Marshall wonders.  
“Where a the others anyway?”  
Brad and Karate guy are walking in direction of the Gorilla zone. The crew starts their theme song, “Eye of the world”, and tell them to enter. The 2 fighters shake hands and greet people in crowd. Once in the ring, “Vivre libre ou mourir” of Bérurier Noir plays, only one of the Croyable brothers shows up. Alain speaks.  
“Sorry my good men. My brother is unfortunately sick, and since I was alone and 5 of you guys, I asked WWF for some... protection!”  
The theme of the APA stars and the crowd goes crazy. The Acolytes Protection Agency, John “Bradshaw” Layfield and Ron “Faarooq” Simmons are walking quickly to the ring. The commentator Michael Cole screams in is microphone.  
“The APA are the baddest there is, You have to be prepare to face those 2, and even prepared...”  
Bradshaw and Faarooq slide in the ring and are ready to fight. The 4 men collides. Kreese on Bradshaw, Anderson on Faarooq. The referee is angry, the bout cannot start like this. He forces Bradshaw and Kreese to go to their corners or the fight is cancel. Ron and Brad continues punching the other but both don't give a sign of pain. Faarooq goes for a drop kick, but Brad stays up, the APA guy now tries to dash forward and shoulder tackle Brad, this time he goes down. Ron wants to attack next with a leg drop, but Anderson is quick enough to punch him inside the leg and to push him away. The 2 wrestlers grabs each other and are in a test of strength, both trying to prove their power more than striking each other. Brad wins and puts Faarooq into a side headlock. The PPJS fighter does a standing suplex to Faarooq. The acolyte tries to get up but Anderson dropkicks him. Anderson neglected the angle of his offense and the bruised Faarroq is now close enough for Layfield to tag. He runs and both man take each other down with a clothesline. They struggle to get up, Brad gets to Marshall. Bradshaw is a big powerful man, Kreese kicks him more times and harder he would naturally kick a usual opponent. Bradshaw isn't quick enough to properly evade or hit the other guy and is down again. Marshall starts striking down Bradshaw in the face, neck and body to make unable to block. Kreese is confidant. While his opponent tries to get himself together, he'll finish him with a super precise axe kick to the head, But Layfield dodges the kick. Now the APA wrestler hits Marshall to the head with an elbow, followed by a big boot. Kreese is down and the powerful Bradshaw drags him to his corner and tags in Faarooq. They both grabs on Kreese who suddenly counters their duo maneuver  
with a split double kick, hitting both APA guys in the face. While the referee helps Bradshaw out of the ring, Kreese also tags his partner and also stand on the ring corner, Brad then starts a powerbomb on Faarrooq, and while the APA wrestler is up, Kreese hits him in the face with a flying quick from the top rope and Brad finishes the bomb move. Marshall quickly slides out of the ring and the ref counts the cover. He reaches 3 and declares the PPJS the winners. On the stage entrance, Alain is livid, He stomps and screams in anger, next to him, Martin and Verne Cobra exit the Gorilla position, They have steel chairs and are walking toward the ring with malicious intent. Corazón and Corvus are behind them for the save, the 3 fresh guys turn around just to be double clothesline and dropkick respectively. The lion man back suplex Verne on his head outside the ramp, Corvus does the same to Martin with a side suplex. Alain is alone and begs for mercy, but get double superkick by the PPJS guys. Suddenly Corvus sees everyone dead in the crowd surrounding him, everything is silent in half a second. Corvus thinks he is alone but in the ring a knight in black armor hold a standard, all black with a white flower and the number XIII. The knight reveals his skeleton face and points to Corvus.  
“Snap out of it hey!”  
Corazón de león is shaking Steven.  
“Get out of your head. You are fine?”  
“Yes.”  
Everything is back to normal, Corvus only hallucinated. The 4 warriors celebrate their victory with the crowd. They return backstage and Carl Exmaev confronts them.  
“Hey Corvus you saw my brother lately?”  
Steven doesn't know how to explain what happened, he is also trying to repress and make sense of.  
“Well...Yes...”  
“Where is he?”  
The memory of people being burned and suck through a wormhole is making him very uncomfortable.  
“Look man, thing happen so fast man... his friend, Manning, he was a very bad man...”  
“What? Tell me the truth!”  
“Sorry man.”  
Corvus runs away like is life depended on it. Marshall, Brad and Corasón don't know what to say to Carl. Kreese catches up with him further outside the arena while the other continue to talk with Exmaev.  
“Corvus what's wrong?”  
“It was like it Rugdwell!”  
Marshal is suddenly more anxious.  
“You mean?”  
“If I didn't had the Hovingtons exorcist, I would be dead! A wizard, a warlock he said. He summoned a daemon and the creature killed everyone in the private club only I survived. You said you had a wizard friend once I didn't believe you but, what the fuck happened at that club, I can't make sense of it.”  
“The wizard I know is a Italian woman named Sonia Franchini, she explain to me there was 5 types of wizards.”  
“Yes that's what they said too!”  
“warlocks masti-something, Sophia was a theurgist an obrimos, time wizards, necromancers/alchemists and...”  
“Shamans! Thyrsi!”  
“Yes.”  
“When is was learning wrestling in Canada, some girl out there told me her family were shamans.”  
“You'll be alright?”  
“Yea, I guess.”  
“This monster is not a threat anymore?”  
“No.”  
“Good, let's go back inside with the other.”

Steven is slowly sicking in the dark empty ocean. He hits once again the weird coin ocean floor. This time a black pyramid starts to rise from the ground. Corvus suddenly awakens again from another weird dream. He usually never remember is dreams and they are usually chaotic, sometimes not even from his perspective, those dreams are different. But dreams nothing more.

Vince McMahon is in his office, he seems too focus for anyone to try talking with him. Pat Patterson finally breaks the ice with him.  
“What is making you so worry Vince?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Really?”  
“Well... I just want to see the PPJS loose. They are not bigger than the WWF!”  
“Divide to conquer, man.”  
“Maybe, Like 2 tag match! 2 vs 2 and 3 vs 3!”  
“Don't you have a meeting with the cable network and Carlisle next Monday?”  
“What's your idea Pat?”  
“Bring Kreese, more division.”  
“Yes I have it! Corvus vs 5 other guys in a 6 way match for the hardcore title, I want the belt off of him, and Team Angle vs the 3 other dudes of justice! Plus like you said.”

Today the WWF Raw show is in Phoenix, Arizona. Covus, Corazón and Anderson are talking with each other in their locker room. James enters clearly upset.  
“Vince kept Marshal with him in LA to meet with Spike TV, and told us just now we have 2 matches on the card. They want us to loose...”  
Brad asks:  
“What are the matches?”  
“Corazón ,You and me vs Team Angle and Corvus vs Bubba Ray, Mick Foley, Marky, Tommy Dreamer and Stevie Richards for the Hardcore title.”  
Brad tries to take the leadership during Marshall absence.  
“Listen guys, win or loose tonight, we won't always win, true champions, true heroes, you see their true faces through defeat and what they learn from it, not their victories, anyone can be happy to win. Let's give them hell.”  
After the X-Pac vs Kane match, it's the queue for the 3 PPJS fighters to get in the ring, After their entrance, Kurt Angle's music begins, people start to sing as usual to mock the Olympics gold medalist.  
“You suck, you suck, you suck, you suck!”  
Angle, Shelton and Charlie ignore them and are extra focus. WWF has promised them a fat bonus if they win. JR and King are calling the action.  
“A gold medal winner and the self proclaim world greatest tag team, Another surprise fight for the PPJS, King!”  
“Yes JR! Vince is seeking who are the ones that can finally beat them, after trying with the nWo and the APA!”  
After the 6 wrestlers are ready in the ring the referee makes sure only 2 fight first. James and Charlie stay in the ring and lock up when the bell rings. James is ready to use his strength, but Charlie make this technical to no being controlled. During the ground wrestling, James however hits Charlie in the face with a good elbow strike. James continues his offense with a back suplex, Charlie gets up to get dropkick. The young wrestler quickly tag his partner to recover. Shelton is ready and kicks James, the PPJS fighter catches the kick to counter the strike. He tosses Benjamin's leg without knowing this is a part of his dragon whip kick technique. The 360° attack makes Knight of justice fall. James overpowers Shelton while being attack getting up. A good punch stops Benjamin. James Irish whips the team Angle guy in his corner. The referee watches the other PPJS wrestlers to not interfere. Knight charges Benjamin, but he stops him with a super kick successfully dizzying him. Shelton tags Charlie back in and they land a double dropkick on James before Benjamin exits. Haas tries top keep punishing the knight of the PPJS, but the guy won't go down. Haas scoop slams James and this time he stop moving, he's in pain. Haas rushes to a corner and jumps on the top rope the dive elbow drop his opponent, but James moves away to let him crash on the ground. Both slowly crawl to their corners, Haas tags Kurt and James tags Brad. The gold medalist charges Brad, who stops him with a big boot kick. Anderson tries to pull back up his adversary, but Angle waist grabs him and tries a German suplex. Anderson is too strong and resist the grab as well as breaking the grip of Kurt. Angle quickly drop kicks Brad behind the head to keep the control of the match. Kurt shoulder tackles the legs of the dizzy big veteran. The leader of his own “pure” wrestlers team want to finish Brad with his signature ankle lock, but as soon has he grabs the bottom leg of Anderson, the PPJS fighter kicks and rolls out. Anderson clotheslines Kurt. Even if Angle seems motionless, Brad tries to finish him for sure with his crucifix powerbobmb. Angel is able to slip behind Anderson easily during the signature maneuver and does its own, the Angle slam. Kurt taunts the crowd, he thinks he is going to win. Charlies Haas in the corner screams at his captain.  
“Tag me in please Kurt, I need a win over Brad Anderson more then you!”  
“What are you saying?”  
“I want to win over him, he's a legend!”  
while Kurt gets closer to the world greatest tag team to argue with Haas, Brad recovers. Kurt returns to attack seemingly upset, Anderson catches the olympic wrestler with a choke slam. While Kurt gets up, Anderson tags Corazón de león. Benjamin and Haas charge at the referee objection, only to get double clothesline by the former Mexican champion. The referee watches closely the 2 illegal wrestlers exit the ring while Corazón starts to wrestler with Angle. Even hurt, Angle can resist the skilled grappler, but when the luchador successfully hits Kurt with an elbow to the side of the head, the PPJS guy finishes him with a kinniku buster. Angle is down for the 3 count and the PPJS wins again. They return backstage and come across Steven going to fight to keep the hardcore title. James hugs his friend and wish him luck.  
“The PPJS is not about titles remember?”  
“Yeah I just love this belt.”  
Brad also speaks to Corvus.  
“Be careful man, keep it together Rugdwell is probably just the tip of the iceberg.”  
The next match is beginning soon. It's a 6 way no disqualification match, the crowd loves the chaos and car crash spectacle, but the wrestlers are scared of the potential injuries. Bubba Ray Dudley, Mick Foley, Stevie Richards, Tommy Dreamer and Marky are in the ring and the champion enters last. WWf handpicked 3 ECW guys, The hardcore legend with 3 identities, and a wrestler who was trained alongside Steven, to make sure the belt changes hands. The match begins. Bubba quickly grabs Corvus in a full nelson to help Stevie to quickly superkick his ECW nemesis. Corvus falls and roll out of the ring. Dudley wants to follow him but has he tries to go through the ropes, Stevie and Dreamer double dropkick him out. Bubba and Steven are both in pain on the ground next to each other. Marky attacks Foley but the hardcore veteran counters him with a mandible claw and stomp him repetitively out of the ring. Dreamer, Richards and Mick are looking at each others. The crowd his going nuts. King is wondering.  
“Is there going to be a new champion?”  
Bubba grabs a chair in the front row and tries to returns inside the ring to get super kick with the object he brought himself by Stevie. Dreamer and Foley lock on each other and Richards attacks them with a double elbow strike to their heads, he tries to keep striking them but Foley and Dreamer are to resilient for him and they eventually grab him for a double DDT. Dreamer shows his respect for Mick and he yells to the crowd.  
“Give me a chair!”  
Some body in the audience throws one to him. He gives it to Mick.  
“Give me another one!”  
Another fan throws a chair. Foley and Tommy are ready to have their fantasy face-off. They charge each other with the chair 4 times before Tommy falls on the ground. Bubba slides back on the ring but Mick chair shot him with the side of the metal seat in the testicles and flat on the head. The damn Dudley is down. Tommy grabs Mick's ankle on the ground while Richards starts to rise up, But Steven enters the ring like Bubba just did and knocks out Stevie with is best maneuver the Tunguska event, a elevated powerbomb he saw Bubba doing once to Spike. Mick finally gets rid of Tommy at the same time with multiple chair shots and charges Steven. The dude of justice counters Foley with a wushu technique. Mick is open but suddenly Steven sees an army of daemons flying through the crumbling roof of the arena. Everyone looks at him like he is hallucinating. Mick locks at the crowd like it's his opportunity and double arm DDT the afraid Corvus on the chair and pins him 1-2-3. Foley is the new hardcore champion! Corvus returns backstage defeated with his ECW colleagues. Bubba ray confronts him.  
“What's wrong with you lately, playing super hero, seeing things. You need the Sandman to come beat some sense into you kid?”  
Steven is confused about is state himself and simply answers:  
“No.”  
And runs away. The other PPJS members make a human barrage further away to catch stop him. James tries to calm him down.  
“Losing the hardcore title of all title is normal. You aren't worst for losing a belt with no rule.”  
Brad tries to add:  
“The bigger picture man!”  
Steven agrees to follow them and talk about his hallucinations and not being able to cope with the existence of the supernatural. 

In LA, Marshall Kreese is at Viacom HQ with Vince McMahon and Jeremy Carlisle. The meeting with the broadcasting business persons went well, but Marshal sees on an internet news reports the live result of Raw. Furious, Kreese turns to Vince.  
“You kept me away here! I wasn't needed here for renewing the deal! Admit it Vince!”  
Carlisle tries to calm down the situation so his 2 friends don't argues in the network office.  
“Your partners are the best Marshal. We were sure they didn't need you tonight...”  
“The PPJS is bigger than this. While one loss means everything for you, all our wins means nothing to you if we are not better athlete and better members of our communities in the end!”  
“Oh yeah? Maybe superheroes have bigger fish to fry than the WWF I guess!”  
“What do you mean?”  
Jeremy still tries to calm down the 2 arguing men.  
“Come on guys we can discuss this later after we cooled down.”  
“If you want the exposure for your group and for your friends to keep their jobs, you will all have to fight for it.”  
“Bring it with your best guys...Again!”  
“Then the stakes are going to be higher! 3 matches, if you loose only one of the, all 5 of you are fired!”  
“What are those matches?”  
Vince thinks for few seconds before giving an answers.  
“2 of you versus Bubba and D-Von. 2 of you against the Hardy boys. Finally, a hardcore title rematch!”  
“You are on! You won't get rid of us that easy! We love to fight!”  
“We'll see.”

Later that night, Steven is alone in his motel, even if there is a chance of waking her or one of her family member, he tries the old phone number he remembered to call Aliss Medjo. Her family are natives from Canada who claim to be from a lineage of shamans. Corvus is pretty sure he can still remember her phone number at home.  
“Hello?”  
“Hi Aliss. It's me Steven Corvus.”  
“What? The wanna be wrestler? It's been like more then 5 years!”  
“I am on WWF TV now. I hope I'm not waking you up.”  
“Nah, I'm a night person. Why are you calling me after all this time?”  
“Some of the wrestlers here are talking to me about the same thing you and your dad talked about, you know, magic. Sleepers, Obrimos and other weird stuff.”  
“Are you alright?”  
“Well... No. Since my friends and I fought... daemons for lack of a better term, I having hallucinations and weird dreams!”  
“What kind of dreams?”  
“Being in a infinite empty sea, it's night. I'm not drowning nothing scary...”  
“Unbelievable! Listen closely! Next time you have this dream write your name on the top of the thing rising toward the sky.”  
“Why?”  
“You'll see.”

Corvus is in a motel room sleeping. His dreams stop the be chaotic and forgettable. The same powerfully real dream happens again. He is sinking in an endless empty calm dark sea. The man hits the floor after a long descent. Steven is surrounded by water, marbles and jewelry. Again, a black pyramid rises from the ground. This time, pro-wrestler swims toward the monolith, however he keeps sinking and cannot go forward. Steven wonders if he should just try to wake up. While fixing the closing precious stones on the grounds, he wishes he could give away his money and material possessions to understand all this. Focusing on this idea, the PPJS guy tries to swim and this time he is progressing. When he finally reaches the pyramid, he tries to climb it, while in the water and swimming along the lower part of the black wall, everything is easy, but out of the water, Corvus struggles to get to the top. The fighter keeps slipping back in the water, and the pyramid keeps rising. He tries again, this time carefully crawling with his body lowered to the maximum and his limbs fully apart from each other. When the lucid dreamer finally his at the top, he uses his belt buckle to scratches his name on the black stone. Steven opens his eyes in his motel room. He can see the elemental composition of everything around him, the difference between every material of the objects and the building! Even if it's the middle of the night, he dresses back up and starts walking in the corridor. Captivated by his awakening, Steven stares at everything like a person with very poor sight. He is looking at molecules and atoms for the first time, his brain is now a perfect computer at using the periodic table and doing chemistry! Steven looks at the interaction of the elements inside a young couple walking in the same corridor. The man is upset and grabs Corvus sunglasses and crushes it in his hands.  
“Carefully moron, and it's night and you're inside, you don't need those. Go back to your room if you have one before I call the staff!”  
The couple enters their room. Steven picks up the broken pieces of his shades. For the first time, he bends reality a little and puts back his glasses together like brand new ones. Corvus returns in his room with a smirk on his face.

It's Smackdown in Tuscon, The crowd waits for the beginning of the show. Mick Foley's car accident theme is eared. The multiple faces wrestler enters the scene, people cheer for him. He requests a microphone and climbs in the ring.  
“I'm so happy to be back here! In Tuscon Arizona! Tonight I have a hardcore title rematch against Steven Corvus. Since your are from ECW Mister Corvus, I want to give ECW fans and you a real hardcore title match! So for that special fight, I was able to make it official with the WWF, this is going to be a barbed wire ropes match! And your a not facing Mick Foley!”  
Foley rips his shirt to reveal another one under with a wanted western style logo on it.  
“You are facing Cactus Jack! Bang bang!”  
Foley returns backstage and the card begins. Micheal Cole and Tazz are commentating the first fight between Tajiri and the Hurricane. Meanwhile backstage the PPJS are together getting ready for the big night, do or die situation. Steven is not with them backstage. The other 4 wonder where he is. The first match is next. Anderson and Corazón against the Dudleys.  
Kreese worries.  
“Where is that cool guy always wears sunglasses lunatic?”  
“Calm down! Corazón and I are going to beat the table guy, James and you are going to beat the Hardys and that gives Corvus plenty of time to show up.”  
A crew member knocks at their door.  
“It's your entrance soon guys.”  
The 2 big men look at each other.  
“Let's do this.”  
The first tag team theme is playing for the crowd. The Dudley boys are ready to go extreme on the 2 PPJS fighters. The ECW guys with glasses theme stops and the Iron Savior song of their adversaries begins. The huge muscular veteran and the tall luchador dressed in white walk to the ring and are ready to fight tag team specialists. the referee is ready and the bell rings. D-Von begins against Brad. They lock up and with his near super strength, Brad shoves back the Dudley easily. D-Von wants more, he braces himself and charges Anderson to tackle him. The older fighter is too tough for the extreme tag team specialist. Brad tries to big boot D-Von, but the Dudley blocks the kick. They exchanges few strikes and finally both back up the ropes for a running attack. D-Von precisely hits his back elbow jumping strike right on the nose of Anderson. While the big wrestler slowly gets up, The ECW duo switches. Bubba tries to suplex Brad but he gets suplex instead. While Anderson goes to tag his partner, Bubba intentionally uses the referee physically to get back up and starts arguing with him. It's successful, the ref doesn't see the tag. Corazón de león approaches the 2 other men and the referee asks him to go back and visibly tag with Brad. D-Von quickly slides in with Bubba, they successfully deliver a 3D to the Mexican wrestler. Before the official can confront him, D-Von slides outside of the ring. The referee is looking upset at Bubba covering his adversary, he reluctantly counts.  
“1! 2! ...”  
Corazón de león's shoulder is up. Bubba Ray thinks the referee had the time to count to 3 but the ref assures him in was a close call but not a 3. The Dudley boy argues while the luchador gets up. He tries to kick him in the gut but Bubba catches the boot, Corazón turns it into an enzuigiri. Both men struggles to get up. The lion fighter is just quicker enough. Brad rushes on Buuba and grabs him from behind the neck for his signature face first inverted chokeslam, The grizzly launcher. Anderson pins the ECW guy. This time the ref counts to 3. Toni Chimel announces.  
“And your winners! Brad Anderson and Corazón de león!”  
The PPJS guys returns backstage happy they succeed, only 2 more wins left! When the 2 victorious fighters returns to their locker room, Marshall and James are worried about their matches and the were about of Corvus, but a the same time, Steven arrives.  
“Where were you?”  
“Something incredible happened, I finally connected all the dots.”  
“What do you mean?'  
Corvus shapes Anderson shadow and shroud in complete darkness half the room.  
“Cool.”  
Knight of justice is afraid.  
“”What was that?”  
“I am a moros.”  
Anderson still childishly enjoy the moment.  
“Hehe, you are a moron indeed.”  
Kreese intervenes.  
“You mean a wizard?”  
“Yes I was in Stygia, And I astrally traveled just few minutes to be able to write my name.”  
“Well it's a great day and I have a surprised for the team after we win the last 2 matches. Today the PPJS becomes unstoppable.”

Somewhere else backstage Cactus Jack is walking and watching everything. The wrestler holds a 24/7 title after all. He is suddenly confronted by Raven with Stevie Richards, and they broth a referee with them.  
“Listen Mick, The match you made, it's helping Corvus. I defeated the guy more time than I can remember. Vince agrees, I am WWF best chance to get rid of the PPJS. 1 lost tonight and their fired. I am the best for the job!”  
Foley smirks. He knocks out Richards with the title belt and kicks Raven in the balls to finish him with a stump-puller piledriver.  
“Bang bang! Have nice day!”  
Cactus Jack walks away.

The second match, Hardy boys vs PPJS is about to begin, Matt and Jeff are finishing their spectacular entrance and the superheroes wannabe are next. Same PPJS music theme but 2 different fighters. In the ring the referee will soon have to enforce the rules between 4 experienced combatants. Everyone is finally in the ring after Kreese and Knight of justice have shaken the hand of few fans. Jeff and the karateka leader are ready to start the fight. The Hardy brother extend his hand, Marshal accepts the hand shake, the bell rings, it begins. Hardy is trying to stay mobile against the hard hitter, he then tries faints until Marshall tries to counter strike and at that point Jeff goes low. The member of the Xtreme does grabs Kreese's leg with his tactic, but now up close to him, The PPJS leader hits him with a powerful elbow strike. Jeff tries to back up but Kreese goes after him with a flying knee. Hardy is now disoriented enough to be heel kick by Marshall back to his corner, Matt tags in to give a break to his brother. Matt boldly charges Marshall but gets hit by a powerful uppercut. The multiple time karate champion hurts Matt even more with a quick and perfect axe kick in the back. The Hardy boyz are requesting a time out to regroup, Kreese laughs and charges, Matt kicks is opponent in the balls and tags Jeff. Jeff pulls the 2 legs of Marshall while the referee complains to the exiting Matt. Kreese is unfortunately in place for the boys tag maneuver. Matt ignores the referee and leg drop Kreese from the top rope while his brother does his signature double leg drop between the legs. The referee forces Matt out and Jeff has to continue since Marshall wont stay down. Jeff tries to further attack the other guy, but his powerful strikes scares him off just enough to Kreese to tag James. The knight charges Jeff who counters with an arm drag. Jeff dropkicks James in a corner, Jeff charges but the PPJS fighter dodges. Jeff steps on the corners to deliver his whisper in the wind. Hardy wants to get Knight of justice up to suplex him, but James hurts him good with a hook punch on the temple. James grabs one of Jeff's legs but he counters with his usual spinning mule kick evasion, the hurted Hardy can tag out. Matt thinks that the knight is weaken enough for a powerful grab but the recovery, the toughness, the speed and the wits of James are all underestimated by Matt. The PPJS warrior quickly grabs him on his shoulders to finish him 1 2 3 with a pinning death valley driver. Backstage, only the other dudes of justice rejoice.

The last match of the do or die challenge of the PPJS is almost set up. The WWF crew has carefully replace the normal rope around the ring with barbed wire. Cactus Jack makes his entrance first followed by Corvus. The announcer presents the 2 wrestlers ready to fight in this violent match for the hardcore title. If Corvus win this match, he regains his lost title and the PPJS can still fight in the WWF. The match begins and Foley charges Steven. The man with the sunglasses back way a 3 steps just enough to drop toe hold Cactus face first in the wire, now there is a cut on Foley's right cheek. The champion just laughs, gets up and keeps charging. Corvus doesn't back up and takes him down again with a clothesline. Cactus Jack struggles to gets up and gets out of the ring to grab a steel chair. Steven follows but when he is near the barbed wire, Foley hits him with the chair so Steven hags in the wire. People are concerned by Cactus Jack repetitively hitting Corvus but the PPJS guy can take it and finally gets on the ground and wrestle the chair off the hands of Jack. Foley tries to brace for impact but Steven knows better, Foley is tough, he does a spinning attack with the side of the chair behind Mick's neck. The multi face wrestler falls on the ground. Steven grabs Mick and delivers a fisherman suplex into the barbed wire so Mick falls first on his head on the side of the ring and finally falls on the ground. Steven tries to pin Mick, but he only gets a 2. While Mick struggles to get up, Corvus rips so barbed wire of the ring and wraps Foley with it. The PPJS wrestler finishes Cactus Jack with his Tunguska event powerbomb. This time the ref counts to 3. Corvus regains is title and The PPJS won all their 3 matches, they will still be able to use the WWF as a platform to promote their organization! Corvus runs behind the curtain were the other 4 fighters wait for him.  
“We did it guys!”  
Kresee announces something big and mysterious.  
“I have something to show you, In 2 days meet me in the Florida keys at the Marathon city's marina.”

It's a beautiful day in Maraton, Andreson, Corvus, Corazón de león, Jaguar mask, Megitsune, Avery Barton and Knight of justice are waiting for their friend. Driving a Porche, the karateka accompanied by Emil finally arrive in the parking lot to join them.  
“Good everyone made it. I have a great news to unveil to you about the PPJS. In front of us is the Boot key. I just bought it...”  
The other are surprised, Marshall bought a island?  
“It's only domain of a radio antenna and there's even a bridge already to access the place. Soon the construction of a HQ for the PPJS will be build, with our own latest technologies in communication, an Armory , a training center, and our private round table!”  
The group are excited and look at the Boot key across the bay.


End file.
